Manish Pandey Shows His Class When KKR Needed Him Most Against MI

Kolkata Knight Riders assistant coach Shane Watson reserved special praise for veteran batter Manish Pandey after the franchise kept its IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive with a tense victory over Mumbai Indians at Eden Gardens.

Pandey, who has spent much of the season waiting for opportunities in the middle order, was promoted to No. 3 and played a key hand in KKR's successful chase on a challenging surface. According to Watson, the innings was a reflection of the form the 36-year-old has shown behind the scenes throughout the campaign.

"It's an absolute pleasure to be able to have Manish Pandey with us here in KKR," Watson said after the match.

"I've worked with him previously at the Delhi Capitals for a couple of seasons, and seeing him throughout the season, this is the best I've seen him bat over the last few years."

Watson revealed that despite limited opportunities in matches, Pandey had consistently impressed in practice sessions and centre-wicket scenarios.

"The positions that he's getting into, the freedom with how he's playing, the practice matches that he's played, the centre wickets that he's been batting as well. He's been batting so beautifully," Watson said.

"Unfortunately, the situations in the game haven't really given him an opportunity to get out in the middle. So, having an opportunity to bat at three today showed how well he's batting."

Manish Pandey "adds so much value to the team'

Beyond his batting contribution, Watson highlighted Pandey's influence within the dressing room, pointing to his experience, fitness and energy around the squad.

"He adds so much value to the team. He's a super experienced guy. He's an amazing fielder. He adds so much energy to our group, whether it's off the field, on the field, around the group. That's the type of person he is," Watson said.

"Those types of people, you give anything to be able to have them in your squad, let alone them out in the middle when we're chasing a challenging total on that pitch."

Pandey's knock came at a crucial stage after KKR lost early wickets in pursuit of a modest target, helping stabilise the innings before the hosts crossed the finish line.

Watson also dismissed any suggestions that age is slowing the former India batter down.

"He's still one of our fittest, one of our best fielders. We saw the incredible catch that he took against RCB. He really is something else," he said.

"It seems the way he's looking after himself, his preparation coming into this tournament as well, shows that he's still got a number of years of really good cricket in front of him."

The former Australia all-rounder believes Pandey's current form is among the strongest phases of batting he has witnessed from the veteran in recent seasons.

"As I said, how he's batting at the moment, he's as good as I've seen him bat for quite a while. So, that's exciting for him as an individual because he's an incredibly good person, but also exciting for us at KKR."